An Angel Named Steve...

Steve with my sponsored child Yessica and her mother

Yessica, age 10, in Guatemala City

Steve with Barbara's sponsored child Eloina, Eloina's older sister, and Eloina's mother

Eloina~ look at that smile! They must think Steve is Santa Claus!

Barbara's sponsored child Marelyn with her mother

For those of you who do not know Steve, you will need to check him out on Google Groups. He makes wonderful travel pages of all of his trips to see his sponsoered kids... I think he has 50 or so kids... or maybe a little less... Anyway, most recently, at the beginning of this month, he made a trek to Guatemala. He offered to meet with any of our kids, if we wanted him to. What a wonderful experience!!!! He brought back pictures for all of us, and somewhere there is, also, a video... As for my sponsored child Yessica, he took special care to wrap up the gifts that she gave him for me. Yes, you heard me right... Yessica gave Steve gifts to send to ME!!! Now, that Steve is back in the US, he is going to pack up her gifts and ship them to me... I will make sure to take pictures so that everyone can see the lovely things Yessica sent.

There are no words that can truly show how deeply his kindness has affected those for whom he took the extra time, care, and attention to visit... And how much the sponsors are grateful for the extra bridge he has added to the sponsor-sponsored child relationship. Thank you, Steve! You are an angel!

Heather

Flora's Special Needs Gift~ Febraury

To look back at the details of the undercover project, just click here:
http://childrenaretheworld.blogspot.com/2009/02/undercover-project-that-began-in.html
Alice was able to send Flora the first special needs donation from our group efforts in February. With the money, Flora was able to purchase:

2 big containers of Nido (nutrional drink)
5 bags of Incaparina (nutrional drink)
2 cans of a liquid supplement similar to Pediasure
1 box of syrup
2 packs of diapers
and a metal frame bed!

In case you don't recognize Flora, she was one of the children in the Blog Action Day slide show. She has spina bifida, and therefore requires the extra items that are listed in her special needs purchases.

Her thank you letter went on to list all of the items that she got and was thankful for. Here it is:

Dear Sponsor:

This letter is to thank you for the special donation that you sent, we received two bottles of nutritional drink, 1 bottle of Kiddy Syrup, 5 bags of Incaparina ( Nutritional Drink) 2 bottles of milk, 2 packages of diapers, 1 metal bed. Flora and family are very happy to receive this help from you, let me tell you that Flora is healthy and getting many blessings from God, she is happy to know that you care about her and also for the donation you sent. Flora says goodbye with hugs.

Miguel Angel's Fundraiser

At long last, here is the link for Miguel Angel's fundraiser:
http://www.firstgiving.com/abed4miguel

Also, note that this is a different link than the one for Janet's fundraiser.

Please spread the word to anyone you think may be interested in helping him. Thanks!

Victor and Mack's trip to Honduras Part 5

At Wilson and Axel’s place, we weren’t offered drinks – they were automatically provided in the form of glasses filled with warm Pepsi. While the family’s generosity was appreciated, I was at a loss about what to do with my drink. I needed my hands to carry and distribute the gift bags I’d brought, and there was no good place in the front yard to set my glass down. The best option seemed to be drinking the stuff quickly, except I can’t stand cola. I honestly don’t know what happened to my Pepsi. I might have set it down on a rock and ‘forgotten’ it, or maybe I handed the glass to my mom (who hates cola even more passionately than I do)? In any case, I was less focused on the pop than on the awkwardness of passing out gifts to the kids.
Axel had quite an audience for the presentation of his presents from Victor. In his front “yard” (made of dirt), there were siblings, cousins, a bunch of random adults, plus the other sponsored kids and their mothers, who were watching the proceedings from just outside the fence. Axel accepted his gifts with the same enthusiasm as Carlos had, but, again, the older Wilson seemed more embarrassed about the spectacle and didn’t want to look inside the backpack of goodies I’d brought for him. I cut him some slack and skipped straight to the bag of soccer gear, which was particularly special because everything had the brand name “Wilson” emblazoned across it.
I had brought my own bag of things for Axel, along with tons of stuff for Wilson’s sisters (the two I’d known about, anyway). I felt bad about Jonathan seeing me give these things to the siblings of my ‘other’ sponsored child, because I hadn’t brought anything at all for his two older brothers. The reason for this was simply that I had no idea what teenage boys in Honduras want/need, and it’s super easy to shop for little girls – teddy bears, coloring books, and My Little Pony. I had brought identical gift baskets for the two mothers, so everything was even in that regard, at least.
I also felt bad that there were so many kids around the place who weren’t getting any presents. I’d tried so hard to make sure nobody would be left out! Luckily, I had brought over 200 candy canes along on the trip, so I had SOMETHING, at least, to pass out to the others.
My gift-giving inadequacy problems were solved – somewhat - because Axel and his sisters did not open their gift bags outside in the presence of everyone. The bags were whisked off to the back of the house, where the cousins and Wendy’s youngest sister were able to help explore the contents and share in the Christmas-like atmosphere. Also, Jonathan and his mother were not able to see how much I’d brought for Wilson’s siblings.
Victor's Thoughts: I wound up drinking Mack's coke; her mother passed it on to me. The logistics of handing out the presents were a bit tricky. I decided right away I didn't care about diplomacy; I'd brought presents for my sponsored child and I was realistic enough to know that probably all the kids around would get a chance to play with Axel's toys. One of the things I'd gotten was a pack of four nice water guns, so I was counting on there being other boys for him to play with. One of the translators came to help me; setting up a chair for Axel to pile the clothes on after viewing them. He showed equal enthusiasm about the clothes as he did to the toys in fact. Probably my most poignant moment on the whole trip was after I had presented all this stuff to Axel, he turned and whispered something to the translator. She then told me what he'd said; that he couldn't believe that all that stuff was for him. That more than anything else brought home to me what sponsorship can mean for a child who has really never had opportunities to own much that is nice and new. When he hugged me, I thought he was going to break my neck!
I sort of felt a little bad that Wilson didn't show as much enthusiasm as his brother had, but that's just the difference in ages again.

Project #2~ A fundraiser for Miguel Angel in Mexico

The birthday celebration that Barbara set up for Miguel Angel's 8th birthday.

A trip to the Guadalajara Zoo with Barbara.




The picture above and below are the only pictures of the "other" Mexico that I took in my 4 months of living there (and subsequent visits back). I regret that I don't have more pictures to show of it, but it felt like an intrusion of their privacy. My dream job would be a photographer for CI, and maybe a tour guide/translator for the sponsor visitors to Mexico. Now, that would be the ultimate!
Ok, everyone, I must apologize first of all. I had big plans for this post, and being able to tell you about the other side of Mexico that tourists don't always see. However, I am stressed to the max right now. For those of you who don't know, I have 2 daughters (a 4 year old and a 2 year old). They are wanting my attention so badly, but I am being pulled in so many different directions by the different jobs I do that I haven't been able to give them much time today. So, instead, I am going to leave you with the wording that is not on Miguel Angel's fundraising page. The link will be released on Sunday. It is still under construction right now, so stay tuned. In the meantime, here is what the page says:

Thank you for visiting Miguel Angel's fundraising page!
Miguel Angel is Barbara's sponsored child in Mexico. This fundraiser is Project #2. The first project was funded very quickly with a lot of support shown to Robyn and her sponsored child Janet. Thank you, everyone who helped with that project!
Miguel Angel is in need of many things. Most importantly, right now, he could use a bed. At age nine he currently shares a bed with his parents in a dark bedroom opposite a septic toilet in an unwalled bathroom. Not only is the bed not big enough for all of them to sleep in, but it can be very hot and sticky during the scorching months of summer. Miguel Angel has been failing in school and, probably, this is partly due to his not getting enough sleep or rest.
Since Barbara is most aware of Miguel Angel's needs, I am including what she wrote about him & what he will receive with the money from the fundraiser:
Miguel Angel lives with his parents in a poor, isolated community located high up on a ridge - on the outskirts of Zapopan. He is the youngest child with three adult, married siblings with their own families. Despite his many problems he is very caring and good at playing with his many young nieces and nephews. Miguel Angel had a rough start in life because he once suffered from convulsions and various other childhood ailments which have all been treated successfully.

Miguel Angel's family share a borrowed, unfinished house with his elder brother's family who live upstairs. From the outside the house appears to be quite adequate but inside it is totally different. At the front of the house there are two tiny rooms with light and fresh air but the rest of the house is like a dark, airless cave with steps cut out of the rock; and the odd chicken making its way throughout. The only other room with fresh air and light is the kitchen at the back of the house which does not have a sink or a fridge. Since there is no running water in the community it has to be bought in by trucks and stored in barrels.

My hope that is that a new bed could be placed in one of the tiny rooms This would provide him with some fresh air and light and also be some distance away from the septic toilet. Hopefully, the added privacy and a comfortable bed would enable him to get sufficient rest and his grades would improve.

The chest of drawers is also necessary because, currently, his clothes are hung from a cord attached to the ceiling. I know that Miguel Angel would really benefit from having the following list of items and be most grateful:

A Bed $87.00 USD

Bed Sheets $20.00 "

Bed Spread $25.00 "

Shoes $14.00 "

Chest of drawers $54.00 "

Guadalajara, Jalisco, México

That would be me in the picture above


Though many people in the world can say they have been to Mexico, they may not be familiar with the interior of Mexico. Most people go to see the beaches, which tend to be like a mini-U.S. as everything is catered to the tourists. It is almost like you have never left the U.S. at all but merely traveled to the beach. The prices are just as high in the beach towns as they are in the U.S. itself. You may see more U.S. citizens than Mexican citizens on any given day. Travel to the interior of Mexico, and you will see a country of contrasts.

The line between rich and poor has been drawn in the dusty un-paved streets, and if you are one of the poor, it is impossible to cross that line. Zapopan is no different. In the state of Jalisco, the capital city (and largest city) is Guadalajara. Zapopan is second in population, and is an off-shoot of Guadalajara itself (it is part of the Guadalajara metropolitan area). Zapopan is home to more than 1 million people!!!

If you are planning a trip to Mexico, Zapopan is a great place to travel. Nuesta Senora de Zapopan Basilica is located there. The church building towers over the shaded town square. In the town square, you will find people every where enjoying the company of others. There are vendors selling everything from balloons/toys to food. Horse drawn carriages travel by introducing tourists to the beauty of the city.

If you do all of these things while you are there, don't forget to cross that line in the dusty road where the majority of the cities inhabitants live. While you can see poverty here in the U.S. and other developed countries, there is little here in the U.S. that will knock you down emotionally as much as seeing it in Mexico. The contrast from the town square to where the poorest of the poor live will bring you to your knees with tears!! Especially, if you have a sponsored child there, and you know that this is what they live everyday.

I want to give everyone a chance to see these beautiful pictures of Zapopan & Guadalajara today. Tomorrow, I will show you what it looks like where Miguel lives.

Please Help Janet with only $43 more to go!!!

Janet in Zambia almost has all of the money needed for her to start school May 1st. It is very exciting to see so many people move to help out!
Today, I wanted to remind everyone about the fundraiser that only needs $43 more to be complete.
http://www.firstgiving.com/givelove
I hope you can enjoy these pictures and videos of East African dancers. I was very fortunate to see them dance last year not that far from my home. At the time, I was taking care of 3 Kenyan children, and I wanted them to see some of their heritage as well. I have learned a lot during that time regarding Africa. It's weird to me that it was never taught in school. I was mostly clueless about Africa as a whole, but thanks to my Kenyan friends I know a little more. I want to share some of it, for those of you who, also, did not learn much about Africa in school.

1. I have heard sponsor's question why the Zambian children have English names. The other question is that if the child is listed as speaking Nyanja or Tonga, will the letters need to be translated. You may be surprised to learn that English is the national language of Zambia! This means that children are taught English in school, and the language is used by Zambian's country wide. Hence, the reason they have English names. Unlike Western Africa, Most of Eastern Africa (including Kenya & Zambia) was originally occupied by the British.

2. Why does the child's report list Nyanja, Tonga, or other languages? Because each child comes from a tribe. The tribe depends on their parents. If their mother and father are both from the Tonga people (AKA Batongo), the language the child would speak is Tonga. Sometime, the parents come from two different tribes, and therefore, the child will speak two different tribal languages (plus, also, speak English).

3. Based on United Nations statistics, about 68% of Zambians live below the poverty line!

(I have been having problems with blogger all day. I was not able to upload the videos, but will add them to the post later. In the meantime, you can find them on my other blog: http://ilovemykids08.blogspot.com/2008/06/drums-of-world-continued.html )

Victor & Mack's Trip to Honduras Part 4

CI Day, Part 4 – Meet Wilson and Axel's Family:

Our last home visit was at Wilson and Axel's house. We drove up and up into the hills on a rutted dirt road. The view out over the valley was breathtaking! The area should have been prime real estate, but the only homes around were tiny and run down. The road to Wilson's house was inaccessible to cars, so we parked where it ended and walked further down. Because it would be too hot to wait out in the sun, the other sponsor kids/parents came to the house with us.

It was immediately evident to Victor and me that this family is needier than Carlos' and Jonathan's (which is good to know). Their house is merely a two-room shack made of wooden slates and sheets of tin. There were kids swarming around everywhere! I never did sort them all out, and learn all their names, but I think I've figured out which 11 actually live in the house + which were visiting relatives.

From what I gathered (and I could be wrong, lol), these are the household members:

Wendy (the mother)

Wendy's mother (the children's grandmother)

Wendy's kids:

Wilson, age 12
Sayda, age 11
Axel, turned 10 just a week after our visit
Soreli, age 7
Baby girl, age 2-ish

Wendy's youngest sister (maybe 14?)

Another of Wendy's sisters (not present)

Wendy's two small nephews by the absent sister

That's it for introducing the family. Next up, our visit to their home …

Lift One Food Baskets

First, I logged in to my account today & found an updated photo of Mwanza!!! I am so happy to have this one! His last picture (which was his first sponsorship picture) was not so great. As you may remember one year ago, Mwanza and his brothers and sisters were featured on CI's blog. All five of them were barely getting by on an income of $5 a month!!!! Their parents had passed away, and they were living alone. Their only income was from when the boys would go into the city to beg for money. Understandably, his first picture was not the best. He looked worn out and as if he was trying to smile, even though he didn't feel like it. Now, all of the pictures I have received from the packages I have sent have had this sweet smile above. I am so proud of him that he is now back in school, and has a chance at a good life. He and his family received a small donation from Children International from doing a commercial with Marsha from the Brady Bunch. They have all received beds from Ms. McCormick (Marsha on the Brady Bunch) as well. Dana, the sponsor of the youngest boy in the family named Lovemore, sent the family a monetary donation. They purchased a lot of food with it.
Then, more recently, CI featured a challenge to current sponsors. They wanted us to help find sponsors for the children that are waiting. It was a "Lift One" project. In exchange for finding sponsors, our sponsored children would receive a $50 food basket!!! Well, I had several people respond and take on waiting children for me!! In exchange, all of my 9 children received food baskets in February!!! I have received thank you cards from 8 of them. The only one I am still waiting to hear from is Mwanza. Since Mwanza is in Zambia, it will probably take longer to get his thank you card. Anyway, since some of you helped me to reach my goal of placing waiting children, I wanted to let you know what food items my children's families received. Here is the list:
1 sack of rice
1 bag of powdered milk
1 bag of oats
2 bags of beans
1 gallon of cooking oil
1 box of corn flakes
1 bag of sugar
1 bag of pasta
1 pack of cookies
1 box of Jell-o
1 can of tomato sauce
1 bar of soap
tuna
salt
flour
eggs
brown sugar
coffee
chocolate
chicken
sausage
and
seasonings

Thank you to everyone who helped!!! All of the families were extremely grateful.

Henry's soccer shoes & shorts

I had already sent Henry a soccer ball, so when I saw these soccer shoes for $5 in his size, I had to get them! I found the soccer shorts (2 pairs) for $2 each. Then, I slipped some other small things in the package (candy, small lunch box and crayons). While I LOVE to get Henry's letters, I was happily surprised to get a thank you from his mother instead. Henry has been faithful in writing to me, so the fact that his mother wrote was a symbol of gratitude from her as well. This is what she wrote:
My family and I hope that all of you are well. We are very thankful to you for thinking of Henry. He liked all of the gifts (then, there is the list of gifts that Barbara loves- I don't like that the letter is wasted mostly on the list either... However, Stephanie's post on the forum about requesting that they NOT list the items is perfect. That is definitely what I will do on future packages)
Many blessings to you and your family. Thank you for everything. ~ Amalfi

Jaden gets pictures from the 1st bed she bought!

Dulce was the first to receive a bed in Jaden's special project. She looks so happy in the pictures, and her letter was beautiful, as you can see. She got a mattress, a wood frame, and new shoes. Once I read through the letter, I realized that I never sent a memo with the donation. On the last bed purchase, the one for Jonathan, I sent along a short memo to be included with the bed. I have been straddling the fence about how to approach this fundraiser, so maybe you guys can provide me with opinions. My dilemma is this: Do I tell the kids that my 4 year old daughter raised the money to buy their beds? Or do I send them the money as a gift from the family? With these first two children, I thought it would be best not to mention that Jaden raised the money. My thinking is that it may seem... I don't even know how to explain it... I guess, I think that it may make them feel poor. The fact that a 4 year old gave money for their bed. Do you know what I am saying? Kids know that adults work, and logically, it makes sense that I could come up with the funds for it. But, a four year old? I am so proud of her, and I appreciate any and all feedback. For these first two, I just sent the money, but I can always explain in a future letter that Jaden raised the money. What is proper etiquette?
Now, on to Dulce's SWEET thank you letter:

How are you? I hope you are SUPER well. I am happy because I have already received my bed with the wooden base, mattress, and new school shoes. Thanks! May God bless you and your family with good health. You are a very special person, and you deserve it! I send you all of my love. Big Kiss! Dulce

Ok, isn't she great! It is letters like these that get me through a rough day at work, or stress, or whatever hard time I may be having. This children may have never been in my womb, and I may never have met them, but that doesn't mean that I love them any less. They are truly beautiful souls!